Maple Cured Bacon

[CoreyMac]

Speaking of drying out, I have found that after a 10hr cold smoke the slabs have a good sweat on them, any more than the 10 hrs and I could see the corners of the meat drying out.

16-24hrs is way out of the question, besides I don't see ay reason to hold bacon in a cold smoke situation and not be smoking. When my smoke is done, I'm right there to bag things up and into the fridge.

I always slice the next day after the slabs has rested overnight.

Corey

[Caribou]

Hi Wyrman,
if your wife doesn't like a smokey flavor you can always forgo the smoke all together.
As long as you are working with safe curing times and cooking temps.
I may be wrong on this so someone correct me please, but isn't that what pancetta is?
I'll have to look that up :)
Carolyn

I found this:
http://www.cookthink.com/reference/1021/What_is_pancetta

[Habanero Smoker]

Not knowing the equipment that was used in the reference in wyrman's post; and not being that familiar with old smoke house techniques; if it is a traditional smoke house (or if one is using a recipe for use in a smokehouse) the drying times could be up to 3 days, but generally the drying time is within 24 hours. The amount of smoke applied depend on if it is a light of heavy smoke (smudge). It is hot smoking when you use temperatures between 100 - 180°F.

When I make triple smoke bacon, I apply 3 hours of smoke each day, and the rest of the time I hold the bacon between 70 - 90°F to reduce the moisture and concentrate the flavors. Since I'm cold smoking, I have never come across any part of the belly drying out.

Carolyn, you are 100% correct. Though what I have found, if I cook food in the Bradley I will still get a small residual taste of smoke to the food, but it is very light.

[wyrman]

Here's a link to my smoker.
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=26270.15
So Hab, you've made bacon without the smoke before?
If so, how did it turn out? I'll throw some smoke at this and I don't have any problem following the recipe but I have three more bellies to do and I may try the cold smoke with them.
I'm just experimanting to see if I can find something that we both can't live without. lol

[Habanero Smoker]

Only bacon I have made that I didn't smoke is pancetta. I sorry for the confusion if you thought I cooked bacon in the Bradley without smoke. I was doing something else when I notice that one would get a residual smoke taste even when you do not apply smoke. I was using the Bradley to warm up a dessert, I believe it was a pan of peach cobbler. I left it uncovered, and when I took it out to serve, I and my guests did detect a slight smoke flavor. Now when I use it to warm up food, or to maintain food at a certain temperature; I will cover it in foil.

If you cook your bacon in the Bradley, without applying smoke; I'm sure the smoke flavor will be so little, it will barely be detectable. It will be like unsmoked bacon that you can purchase commercially, but the flavors will be better. If you cold smoke and keep your temperatures lower then 90°F, but higher then 70°F, keep in mind that cold smoking tends to impart a stronger smoke flavor, so you may want to cut down on the amount of smoke.

[Caribou]

Hi,
I've been poking around looking for some ideas for non-smoked bacon
Here's a pancetta recipe:
http://www.chow.com/recipes/10699-chow-pancetta
And here's a recipe for bacon that is cooked in the oven, you could forgo the wood part and it wouldn't pick up the wood smoke from your smoker since it is done in the oven:
http://www.chow.com/recipes/30156-oven-smoked-bacon
Hope this helps :)
Carolyn

[viper125]

Well the biggest reason I wouldn't is The 40-140 for 4 hour rule. I just don't think it would be safe. Now cold smoking may be ok not sure. But if you cold smoke its not going to condense the flavors like a hot smoke. Just MHO

[Habanero Smoker]

Well the biggest reason I wouldn't is The 40-140 for 4 hour rule. I just don't think it would be safe. Now cold smoking may be ok not sure. But if you cold smoke its not going to condense the flavors like a hot smoke. Just MHO

This is not criticism but I'm trying to obtain more understanding about this  40 - 140°F within 4 hour rule. I never heard of this until it was posted on this forum about a year ago, and only found one reference on one site. The bacon is cured, so that will eliminate any concerns of food safety.

Cold smoking over a lengthy period of time will definitely reduce moisture and concentrate the flavors, but you need to be careful, if you go too long the salt flavor also becomes more concentrated and you don't want to end up with a salt like. The first 2.5 days of my triple smoke bacon, the bacon remains as a temperature between 70 - 90°F, and it looses a lot of moisture during this time. If you are referring to the intensity of smoke flavor. Smoke penetrates deeper, and produces a stronger flavor while you are cold smoking. The hotter the temperature the characteristics of smoke to penetrate and adhere to the surface decreases.

[viper125]

Well its all about bacteria and them growing between that time. I was told that curing doesn't kill it all and if left between those to temps four hours it could cause trouble. I have read it in dozens of places and figure it is so easy to do why take the chance? So no matter what Im smoking I try to do it that way. And I think I asked that when I first read it when I started here. LOL!

[Habanero Smoker]

Thanks for your feedback. I'll keep looking, maybe I'll find some more information, but I've never seen that for cured meats it was required to bring the internal temperature to 140°F within four hours. That would almost eliminate all cold smoking. When I make pancetta, after it is cured I hang it at in an environment at around 65°F for about six days, and that is the most common way to make it.

[viper125]

https://www.unf.edu/shs/Self_Help_-_Stomach_Flu_and_Food_Poisoning.aspx

Goggle the 40 to 140 rule and you'll see a lot. from smoking sites and government.

[viper125]

Actual typed 40-140 rule here on the site and there is a lot of talk on it. Not sure if im right or not ive always been told meat in the 40-140 range over 4 hours is dangerous and ground especially. Ive heard it explained many ways even 2 hours at that. Or the thick part staying their or  even the surface. But ground meat is always been said to me 40 - 140 for less then 4 hours. Not arguing just what ive always been told. I would appreciate any one who could elaborate more on it. I see where some of our more popular members have said it also. So you have me wondering!  ;D

[wyrman]

I smoked the bellies up today. I followed the recipe as written. I didn't get any pics yet as I was pretty darn busy prepping for T-day. I'm going to slice on Friday, I'll post back then.

[Habanero Smoker]

https://www.unf.edu/shs/Self_Help_-_Stomach_Flu_and_Food_Poisoning.aspx

Goggle the 40 to 140 rule and you'll see a lot. from smoking sites and government.

Thanks for the time you put into researching this, but what you are linking me to is not the guidelines I am questioning. I'm very familiar with the Danger Zone being between 40 - 140°F (that is now being looked are for revising the 140°F to a lower temperature); which according to USDA guidelines the dangerous temperatures are 41 - 139°F. I'm also knowledgeable with their reheating guidelines. I have written about the danger zone quite a lot on this forum.

What I am questioning is your your reference that when you are cooking food the internal temperature of food cannot stay between 40 - 140° for more then 4 hours; especially pertaining to cured meats.

I don't want to distract form this thread, it would be better to start another post in area for discussion.

[wyrman]

It doesn't bother me Hab. Keep on if you guys want, it's interesting.